Group 1 - Upbound Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: UPBD) announced the acquisition of Brigit, which is expected to enhance customer experience in the coming years [1] - The recent quarterly increase in operating profit was driven by decreases in operating labor expenses [1] Group 2 - The independent investor has over a decade of experience and focuses on cash flow statements and unlevered free cash flow figures [1] - The investor typically does not write about growth stocks and studies trading multiples such as EV/FCF, net income, and EV/EBITDA [1]

Core Viewpoint - Momentum investing focuses on "buying high and selling higher," contrasting with traditional strategies of "buying low and selling high" [1] Group 1: Momentum Investing Strategy - Momentum investing can be risky as stocks may lose momentum if future growth does not justify high valuations [1] - A safer approach involves investing in bargain stocks that exhibit recent price momentum [2] Group 2: Upbound Group (UPBD) Analysis - Upbound Group (UPBD) has shown a four-week price change of 1.8%, indicating growing investor interest [3] - UPBD gained 3.1% over the past 12 weeks, demonstrating its ability to deliver positive returns over a longer timeframe [4] - The stock has a beta of 1.73, suggesting it moves 73% more than the market in either direction [4] - UPBD has a Momentum Score of B, indicating a favorable time to invest [5] - The stock has a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy) due to upward revisions in earnings estimates, which attract more investors [6] - UPBD is trading at a Price-to-Sales ratio of 0.34, meaning investors pay 34 cents for each dollar of sales, indicating a reasonable valuation [6] Group 3: Investment Opportunities - UPBD appears to have significant potential for growth at a fast pace, alongside other stocks that meet the 'Fast-Paced Momentum at a Bargain' criteria [7] - There are over 45 Zacks Premium Screens available to help identify winning stock picks based on various investing styles [8]

Group 1 - Upbound Group (UPBD) shares have increased by 5% over the past four weeks, closing at $26.29, with a mean price target of $36.63 indicating a potential upside of 39.3% [1] - The mean estimate consists of eight short-term price targets with a standard deviation of $8.07, where the lowest estimate suggests a 1.1% decline and the highest predicts a 90.2% increase to $50 [2] - Analysts show strong agreement in revising UPBD's earnings estimates higher, which correlates with potential stock price increases [4][11] Group 2 - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for UPBD's current year earnings has risen by 0.3% over the past month, with no negative revisions [12] - UPBD holds a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy), placing it in the top 20% of over 4,000 ranked stocks based on earnings estimates [13] - While price targets may not be entirely reliable, the direction they imply suggests a positive outlook for UPBD [13]

Company Overview - Upbound Group (UPBD) is headquartered in Plano and operates in the Finance sector, specifically leasing furniture and appliances with an option to buy [3] - The stock has experienced a price decline of 12.86% since the beginning of the year [3] Dividend Information - Upbound Group currently pays a dividend of $0.39 per share, resulting in a dividend yield of 6.14%, which is significantly higher than the Financial - Leasing Companies industry's yield of 4.26% and the S&P 500's yield of 1.53% [3] - The company's annualized dividend of $1.56 has increased by 4% from the previous year, with an average annual increase of 5.93% over the last five years [4] - The current payout ratio is 39%, indicating that the company distributes 39% of its trailing 12-month earnings per share as dividends [4] Earnings Growth - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Upbound Group's earnings in 2025 is projected at $4.16 per share, reflecting a year-over-year earnings growth rate of 8.62% [5] Investment Perspective - Upbound Group is considered an attractive dividend play and a compelling investment opportunity, currently holding a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy) [7]

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Group 1 - Upbound Group (UPBD) shares have increased by 16% in the past four weeks, closing at $23.66, with a mean price target of $36.63 indicating a potential upside of 54.8% [1] - The mean estimate consists of eight short-term price targets with a standard deviation of $8.07, where the lowest estimate is $26 (9.9% increase) and the highest is $50 (111.3% increase) [2] - Analysts show strong agreement in revising UPBD's earnings estimates higher, which correlates with potential stock price increases [4][11] Group 2 - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for UPBD's current year has risen by 1.7% over the past month, with three estimates increasing and no negative revisions [12] - UPBD holds a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy), placing it in the top 20% of over 4,000 ranked stocks based on earnings estimates [13] - While consensus price targets may not be reliable for predicting exact stock gains, they can indicate the direction of price movement [13]

Company Overview - Upbound Group, Inc. (formerly Rent-A-Center, Inc.) is a leading lease-to-own provider operating in the United States, Puerto Rico, and Mexico, offering consumers access to high-quality products through flexible lease purchase agreements without long-term debt obligations [11] - The company operates through four segments: Acima segment, Rent-A-Center Business segment, Mexico segment, and Brigit segment [11] Investment Potential - Upbound Group has a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy) and a VGM Score of A, indicating strong investment potential [12] - The company is particularly appealing to growth investors, with a Growth Style Score of A and a forecasted year-over-year earnings growth of 8.6% for the current fiscal year [12] - Recent upward revisions in earnings estimates by three analysts for fiscal 2025 have led to an increase in the Zacks Consensus Estimate by $0.06 to $4.16 per share [12] - Upbound Group has demonstrated an average earnings surprise of 4.8%, further enhancing its attractiveness to investors [12] Summary of Style Scores - The VGM Score combines value, growth, and momentum styles, helping investors identify companies with the most attractive overall characteristics [6] - A strong Zacks Rank, coupled with high Style Scores, increases the likelihood of stock success, making Upbound Group a candidate for investors' short lists [13]

Company Overview - Upbound Group (UPBD) is headquartered in Plano and operates in the finance sector, specifically leasing furniture and appliances with an option to buy. The company's stock has experienced a price decline of 17.14% year-to-date [3]. Dividend Information - Upbound Group currently pays a dividend of $0.39 per share, resulting in a dividend yield of 6.45%, which is significantly higher than the Financial - Leasing Companies industry's yield of 4.11% and the S&P 500's yield of 1.59% [3]. - The company's annualized dividend of $1.56 has increased by 4% from the previous year, and over the past five years, it has raised its dividend four times, averaging an annual increase of 5.93% [4]. Earnings Growth - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Upbound Group's earnings per share for 2025 is $4.14, indicating a year-over-year growth rate of 8.09% [5]. Investment Appeal - Upbound Group is considered an attractive dividend investment, providing benefits such as improved stock investing profits, reduced overall portfolio risk, and tax advantages. The company holds a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy), indicating a compelling investment opportunity [6][7].

Shares of Upbound Group (UPBD) have gained 10.1% over the past four weeks to close the last trading session at $24.17, but there could still be a solid upside left in the stock if short-term price targets of Wall Street analysts are any indication. Going by the price targets, the mean estimate of $37.88 indicates a potential upside of 56.7%.The average comprises eight short-term price targets ranging from a low of $30 to a high of $50, with a standard deviation of $7.12. While the lowest estimate indicates ...

Company Overview - Upbound Group, Inc. (formerly Rent-A-Center, Inc.) is a leading lease-to-own provider with operations in the United States, Puerto Rico, and Mexico, offering consumers access to high-quality, durable products under flexible lease purchase agreements without long-term debt obligations [11] Investment Ratings - Upbound Group is rated 2 (Buy) on the Zacks Rank, indicating a favorable investment outlook [12] - The company has a VGM Score of B, suggesting a combination of attractive value, growth, and momentum characteristics [12] Performance Metrics - Upbound Group's shares have increased by 10.1% over the past four weeks, indicating strong momentum [12] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2025 has risen by $0.04 to $4.14 per share, reflecting positive earnings revisions from analysts [12] - The company boasts an average earnings surprise of 4.8%, highlighting its ability to exceed earnings expectations [12] Style Scores - Upbound Group has a Momentum Style Score of B, which is beneficial for momentum investors looking for stocks with upward price trends [12] - The combination of a solid Zacks Rank and top-tier Momentum and VGM Style Scores positions Upbound Group as a strong candidate for investors [13]